2019 top Dodgers prospects: No. 16-20

20. Jeren Kendall (CF)

2019 will only be Kendall’s second full season in the minor leagues, but it feels like his career is already at a crossroads. His offense bottomed out in the California League in 2018, with a complete swing rebuild on the table for a possible comeback this season. Kendall’s athleticism and secondary tools still remain easy pluses, making it hard to discount his prospect status too much right now.

It’s difficult to talk about Kendall’s present offensive value without having seen his work to correct his many swing flaws this off-season. By year’s end with Rancho Cucamonga, Kendall’s swing was very stiff and practically single tracked, leaving too much of the zone uncovered. He still would flash pop, and Kendall had plus power coming out of Vanderbilt, but the present hit tool leaves him in danger of never breaking into the upper minors.

Loosening his swing and making his set-up more adaptable to in at-bat adjustments is only part of the battle, as Kendall’s pitch recognition is also a question mark. He will walk at a decent clip, but the strikeouts jumped into dangerous territory. Kendall’s speed is still a real weapon both on the basepaths and in manning center field, while his plus arm can play at any position in the outfield.

Kendall will likely return to the California League in 2019, though whether or not he starts the year there or in extended spring training will be determined by the Dodgers’ confidence in his swing adjustments. His very brief appearance with the big league club in spring training showed a little more fluidity in his set up, but a swing that was still pretty steep and stiff.

With the national prospect writers ready to write him off, Kendall will need to prove just an average hit tool to maintain his prospect status. That’s still a tall ask, given how he finished last year. It’s hard to count out a player still young and arguably the best athlete in the system, and the Dodgers will exhaust all options with his development to try to tap into his still immense potential.

19. Robinson Ortiz (LHP)

The kid gloves were still on for Ortiz’s development in 2018, with Robinson throwing just 32 innings with the rookie affiliate. Ortiz showed even better arm strength and more strikeout potential in his stint with the team, and looks primed for a larger role in 2019. Though full season ball is still likely a year away save for a late-season cameo, Ortiz is one of the more promising arms to look forward to in the coming years.

Despite an undersized (6’0) and already filled out frame, Ortiz generates power with a quick arm and fluid delivery. He sometimes will show balance issues on release that will cause him to miss high, but his overall polish is superior to his teenage peers.

Ortiz had begun to push his velocity into the mid 90’s in 2018. He still gets excellent life on his fastball, and his quick arm helps his change-up play up as a swing and miss pitch to right-handers. His curveball can look loopy at times and is still best used against left-handers, but his athleticism and arm speed should help him refine the shape and velocity of the pitch to eventually flash plus.

Ortiz’s command and ability to miss bats is already advanced for the rookie level, but his outings have yet to be stretched out to fit a full season role. He should be in line for a trip to the Pioneer League, where the offensive friendly environments should make for a sufficient test for him, and he could still see time with Great Lakes with a strong performance in Ogden.

While Ortiz has plenty of room for refinement as a 19 year old, he isn’t as projectable as many other players his age, and he likely will top out as a mid-rotation starter. He could move up several spots on this list if he proves himself ready to break the full season barrier, and Ortiz has the pitchability to start moving quickly once he proves better stamina.

18. Matt Beaty (1B/3B)

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Injury prevented Beaty from carrying momentum from a stellar 2017 over into his 2018 campaign with Tulsa. Though his numbers didn’t stand out, Beaty is still one of the better contact hitters in the system and could contend for a reserve role at some point in 2019.

Though Beaty may be short on tools compared to the other hitters in this prospect tier, his pitch recognition and barrel control make him a good fit to combat the high strikeout pitchers in the modern game. Beaty’s set-up in the box is relaxed and easy, with a short load and quick trigger and a swing plane built for gap to gap line drives. His power is just average to fringe given the need for him to manage a corner position, and his overall offensive production likely couldn’t carry first base full time.

To his credit, Beaty has been flexible defensively and the Dodgers have worked to broaden his positional proficiency. Beaty played first, second, third and left field in 2018, with first and third being his best positions. He is an average athlete with enough arm to fill a part time four corners role.

While Beaty may not have the tools to profile as an every day player, he could carve a long career as a pinch hitter thanks to his ability to make consistent contact. He has enough pop to take a couple of starts a week in an outfield corner or first base, and could sustain longer playing time as a more contact oriented hitter amidst a more strikeout prone lineup.

Already 25 years old, Beaty is more or less a finished product physically, and only needs better health and more AAA at bats this season to prepare for a future big league role. Beaty might fit best with a rebuilding club as a “safer” bat to balance against younger and more mercurial talent. The Dodgers are deep in corner bats, which lengthens his odds with Los Angeles, but his hitting skill set is unique enough to give him a chance to break through in the next two seasons.

17. Josh Sborz (RHP)

A move to the bullpen seemed to be the best fit for Sborz’s stuff, pushing his strikeout rate into attractive territory and helping him earn a spot on the 40 man roster. While his velocity is still just average to slightly above, his aggressive mound mentality helps his stuff play up and should make a positive impact on a club even in middle relief.

Now sitting more comfortably in the mid 90’s, Sborz can pitch off his fastball effectively with swing and miss potential up in the zone with “rising” action. He can also create deception when throwing down in the zone thanks to an unconventional delivery and high slot.

Sborz will use two breaking balls in relief, with the curveball having more swing and miss potential, but the slider likely to get more use based on his command of the pitch. The slider has short break and he keeps the pitch in the zone, though he will lose his release and flatten out the break up in the zone. His curveball has a spike-like action, but can be tough for him to keep in the zone and primarily gets swings as a chase pitch. In relief, Sborz has little need for his change-up.

A decorated collegian at Virginia, Sborz has always had an impressive mound presence, and his competitiveness suits him in a short relief role. He doesn’t have the best stuff of the relief prospects in this tier, but he commands his pitches better and still generates satisfactory strikeout rates.

As a member of the 40-man roster, Sborz will likely get the chance to make his big league debut in 2019, but the competition for middle relief roles is fierce in the organization. His compete level will make any bullpen better even if he just fills a role in the sixth and seventh innings. Sborz long track record of success from college to pro ball could also make him an attractive trade candidate.

16. Connor Wong (C/2B)

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While Wong put up better counting statistics than Jeren Kendall in 2018, like the toolsy outfielder, his trouble with contact could hamper his ultimate prospect status. Wong’s batted ball profile still allowed him to impact the game at a high level when putting the ball in play, and his power and athleticism are still rare at the catcher position.

Wong came just one home run shy of a 20-20 double-home run campaign in 2018, with a high lift swing and good strength boosting his power. He sells out for pop, costing him average, but that isn’t the only factor contributing to his high K rate. Wong has a tendency to get too rotational in his swing which can cause him to pull off the ball and leave him susceptible to pitches on the outer half of the zone. He also has a more complicated two tap timing mechanism that can be fouled up when he fails to properly diagnose pitches.

Wong was lauded for his versatility when he was drafted out of Houston, but he primarily spent the 2018 season behind the plate. He is still athletic enough to handle second or third in a pinch. Wong is a fairly sound receiver and his low to the ground build and crouch help him set a good target and frame pitches down in the zone.

Wong’s California League campaign should be enough to bump him up to Double-A in 2019, but the catching position gets more crowded above that. He will probably never hit for much average, but his power and versatility might make him a capable spot starter and bench bat on a first division club. The Dodgers are also deep enough in catching talent to make Wong a potential trade candidate as well, though he’s more likely to move up the organizational depth chart with more attractive trade candidates ahead of him in Triple-A.